Merthur One-Shots
by Destiel0205
Summary: I will be posting all of the merthur one-shots that I write on here! You'll notice that I deleted two of my stories... Don't worry, the first two chapters will be Emerald and Family Reunion! The rest are yet to come! Ready for more Merlin and Arthur? I'll *try* to update this often! Please leave prompts or suggestions for other ships to include in the reviews! Enjoy!
1. Emerald

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry for that mistake, I'm fixing it now. Well, here it is! I wrote this almost a year ago now, and it had previously been published as a separate story, but I've decided to actually make a collection of one-shots! Anyway, if you've already read this, you can skip to the next one, or the one after that, and so on...**

**Summary: Arthur gets an idea to surprise Merlin for their anniversary. Things get pretty interesting.**

**Genre: Romance, Comedy**

**Ships: Merthur**

**Setting: Modern AU, no magic**

**Inspiration: *insert Spongebob GIF* Imaginaaaaation!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

It was May 2nd, 2009 when it started. The same day, five years later, he couldn't believe what his life had become.

Arthur Pendragon was a wealthy man, having inherited his father's position as CEO of Pendragon Incorporated. When he had first met Merlin, he'd been a stuck-up business man who didn't care about anyone but himself and his company. After spending five years together, Merlin had managed to turn Arthur into the kind of person that gets his boyfriend a dog for the anniversary of the day they met.

That's right, Arthur Pendragon, big-shot CEO of Pendragon Inc., was twiddling his thumbs in the lobby of Albion Pets Rescue.. Needless to say, people were staring. They were pointing at him while speaking in hushed tones, but they didn't seem to realize Arthur had both eyes and ears.

Arthur sighed, trying to tune them out, but it was no use. He heard them pondering Arthur's reason for being at a shelter. He heard them wondering why he wasn't at work, as it was noon. He heard it all, but he'd heard worse.

Eventually, Arthur was allowed in to see the dogs. His hands were shaking at his sides, and he resisted the urge to tuck them in his suit pockets. It was a horrible habit: He would shove his hands in his pockets every time he was uncomfortable, and he'd scratch through pocket after pocket after pocket… Merlin found it amusing, of course. "Most people bite their nails or twirl their hair or something, but not my Arthur. He claws holes in his pockets!"

Arthur was jolted from his thoughts by a slobbery tongue licking his hand. He pulled his hand back immediately, observing the dog in front of him. She had dark brown fur that looked incredibly soft to pet. Then there were her eyes. They were the brightest green Arthur had ever seen.

His original plan was to roam around for a while to make sure he found the perfect dog for Merlin, but he was already in love with this one.

As Arthur walked towards one of the employees, the chocolate lab was rubbing against his leg and licking his slacks.

"Hi, may I help you?" The young woman asked when Arthur approached her. She must have thought Arthur was there for business because of his suit. It was uncomfortable, but he had to put it on that morning so Merlin thought he was going to work.

"Yes, please. What is her name?" He asked, gesturing to the lab that seemed to be glued to his leg.

"Oh, she seems to have taken quite a liking to you! Her name is Emerald, and she's two years old. That's technically an adult, and she's been fixed already," she smiled.

"Thank you! I think I'd like to adopt Emerald."

"How wonderful! Well, she's already gotten her vaccines and she's been fixed, so you can probably take her home today!" The young woman seemed genuinely happy for Emerald, and she continued, "If you want, we could sell you a collar and a leash today for only $5. That way you could take her on a walk, which I think she'd enjoy. Of course, you'd have to buy the other essentials at a pet store, and you'll probably want some toys as well."

Arthur was surprised at how much this shelter was giving him, both in material objects and in knowledge. He'd never had a pet before, so he'd had no idea what to do. Now he did. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

The young woman nodded, a large smile plastered on her face.

Later that day, Arthur and Emerald were in the car on their way home. It was earlier than Arthur would usually be home from work, so he could surprise Merlin.

Merlin was a teacher at Camelot High, and Arthur had no idea how his boyfriend could stand being around so much teen angst and hormones for eight hours a day. He'd usually get home at four, an hour after the kids left. It was currently 4:30, so Arthur was sure he'd be home. Arthur usually didn't get home until 5:30, so Merlin would be lounging about, not expecting his boyfriend back yet. It was perfect.

Emerald was lying on a blanket in the back seat, and Arthur smiled fondly at her through the mirror. She was the perfect dog for Merlin; happy, cuddly, and playful.

Five minutes later, they were outside Merlin and Arthur's shared apartment. Arthur had checked earlier, and their landlord said it was okay for them to have a dog, as long as it didn't do too much damage to the building.

Arthur was holding Emerald's leash with one hand, and the other was scratching at the bottom of his pocket. He knew he should stop, but all of the nervous thoughts were making an appearance. He'd managed to repress them for a while, but there they were.

_What if he doesn't like Emerald? What if _she_ doesn't like _him_? What if Merlin expected more? What if he's disappointed? What if he's allergic? What if she's too messy and the landlord kicks us out? What if we can't take care of her well enough? What if we can't leave her at home while we're both at work?_

_Shut up, _Arthur told his brain. _Everything will be fine. Merlin will love Emerald, and Emerald will love Merlin. It will all be okay._

With that, Arthur took a deep breath and unlocked the door. Emerald immediately tried to run around and explore, but instead Arthur slowly walked her towards the couple's shared bedroom, thanking the stars that she wasn't barking.

He peeked through a crack in the door and saw Merlin laying on the bed reading, wearing dark jeans and a dark blue plaid dress shirt that brought out his eyes in the most beautiful way. Arthur smiled to himself, reviewing his plan for attack.  
_So, I'm going to walk in the room, he'll be surprised to see me home early. I'll say I got the rest of the day off because it's our anniversary. He'll be happy, and I'll ask if he wants to go out to dinner. He'll agree, because Merlin loves going out to eat. He'll suggest some restaurants, and I'll mention that we need to find somewhere dog-friendly. He'll be surprised, and then I'll go and get-_

Arthur's thoughts were interrupted when he felt Emerald running past him and into the bedroom. He cursed under his breath, but decided to stay outside and watch through the crack in the door.

"Emerald ran over to Merlin, who hadn't noticed her until she jumped up on his lap and knocked the book away. "Oh!" he cried, obviously surprised. Arthur watched as his boyfriend awkwardly shuffled around, trying to get Emerald off of himself, and couldn't help but laugh. It seemed Merlin had heard him, as the dark-haired man's head turned in Arthur's direction.

Arthur wiped the smile off his face and walked in the room. He stood at the foot of the bed, while Merlin and Emerald lay side-by-side on the duvet. Merlin seemed content, mindlessly petting the soft fur of the dog beside him, staring up at his boyfriend. "Arthur, did you…" he trailed off, a smile lighting up his face. "Did you get me a dog for our anniversary?"

Merlin's smile was infectious, and it took all of Arthur's self-control not to jump onto the bed and cuddle with his boyfriend and his dog. "Yes, yes I did. Her name is Emerald. I got her from the shelter today."

"So, you weren't at work?" Merlin seemed confused, still petting Emerald softly. She nuzzled her face into his side, and he broke eye contact with Arthur for a second to smile at her.

"I didn't go to work at all today. I researched shelters that had good histories and well-behaved dogs, then I drove out to Albion Pets Rescue, and she found me. She seemed perfect for you, so I adopted her. Is that okay?" By the last sentence, Arthur's hands were back in his pockets, scratching away.

Merlin slid out from under Emerald and over to the side of the bed. He slowly threw his feet over the edge and stood up, all without breaking Arthur's gaze. He walked over to Arthur and held his wrists. Merlin gently pulled his hands out of the tattered pockets, and slid them into his own warm grip. "Arthur Pendragon, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. _Of course_ it's okay, you prat! In fact, it's more than okay. It's wonderful! Now we have our own little family."

Merlin began leaning forward, and Arthur's lips met his in a frenzy of softness and heat. The shaking in Arthur's hands was forgotten as his hands explored Merlin's back, slipping under his shirt to caress the small of his back.

When Merlin pulled away, Arthur was a bit disappointed, but he supposed the rest could wait until later. After all, it was only 5:15. Merlin looked thoughtful, and just when Arthur was about to ask if something was wrong, Merlin spoke up.

"You know, I said it was wonderful, but there's one thing that bugs me." Arthur's eyes went wide in surprise and his hand resumed their shaking. Then Merlin smiled and held his hands once more, nodding towards the discarded book on the bed, then to the bookmark on the pillow.

"I lost my page."


	2. Family Reunion

**Author's Note: Hello! Would you look at that, it's chapter 2! This one has also been published previously, but like the first one, I've decided to move it here!**

**Summary: When Merlin and Arthur go to the Pendragon family reunion, Arthur thinks up a plan to annoy his father while making Merlin speechless with joy.**

**Genre: Romance, Drama (a bit), maybe some Comedy**

**Ships:**** Merthur, Morgana/Leon**

**Setting: Modern AU, no magic, set in Camelot as a modern city**

**Inspiration:****Just my own mind!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey baby," Arthur whispered into Merlin's ear. The dark-haired man woke with a start, his eyes frantically darting around their bedroom. Arthur just chuckled, leading to Merlin's death glare.

"Why did you wake me up, Arthur? It's only 5:00!" Merlin complained.

Arthur sighed lovingly and ruffled Merlin's bed head. "It's that day, remember? Leon finally convinced Morgana to have a family reunion." That wasn't all, though. Arthur had something planned. Something that would make Merlin happy while simultaneously making Uther furious. Perfect.

"Ugh. I forgot about that. When does it start?" Merlin was dreading the day. He hated seeing Arthur tense up whenever he went anywhere near his father.

"In about two hours," Arthur responded casually, stifling a yawn. He was still tired, but if he hadn't woken up, Merlin certainly wouldn't have.

"Two hours?" Merlin shouted. "It takes an hour to get to Morgana's house, which leaves us only an hour to get ready!"

"Do you really need an entire hour to get ready? I always knew you were a girl, Merlin," Arthur joked, bracing himself for his boyfriend's retaliation.

"Shut it, prat," Merlin commanded before moving his lips to meet those of his boyfriend.

Arthur was stunned; that was definitely not what he'd expected. He wasn't complaining, though.

Merlin just smirked at Arthur surprised face. The blond didn't make a peep, and Merlin knew the kiss had done its job: making that prat shut up.

* * *

Merlin stretched as much as he could in the cramped car, careful not to slap Arthur's face on accident. The tiny car and Merlin's lanky limbs didn't mix, but it's not like he has a choice in what car they drive. Or driving at all, since Arthur never gives him a chance.

"Are we there yet?" Merlin whined, not noticing how childish he sounded until it was too late.

Arthur let out a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes. "15 more minutes, love. I'm sure you can wait that long."

Merlin just turned to look out the window. They were on their way to Morgana's house, which happened to be an hour away from Camelot, in the middle of nowhere. Merlin had never liked Arthur's family much. Uther was a hypocritical jerk, and Agravaine was a disloyal brute. Morgana wasn't too bad, but she had her bratty and demanding moments. Quite often, actually.

Arthur, however, was focused on the road. At least, on the outside. On the inside, he was thinking of everything that could go wrong that day. Arthur knew it wasn't healthy, but he couldn't help it! For reassurance, he patted the box in his coat pocket.

* * *

When the couple arrived at the party, everyone was already there. Merlin could see Morgana with Leon, talking to Uther. Well, talking is putting it lightly. They were having a full-fledged battle: Morgana vs. Uther, with Leon trying to prevent a fist fight. It happened every time they were within 100 feet of each other.

"You should learn to accept him, he's your son!" Morgana was shouting.

Uther retorted, "Not anymore, he's not. Do you see?" He gestured towards Arthur and Merlin. "Arthur brought that -that_ boyfriend_ of his with him.

Arthur curled his hands into fists, feeling the rage spread over him. _How dare he talk about Merlin like that. He should be thankful. My love brings light to all that is dark. Oh well. He won't be just my boyfriend for long._

Merlin stood beside Arthur, noticing the fury in his eyes. Merlin simply sighed. He knew Arthur meant well, but the last time he got this overprotective, Uther left with a black eye. As much as Merlin enjoyed Uther's pain, he hated when Arthur would snap in his father's presence. All of the compassion and love that Merlin had fallen for disappeared, leaving only the hatred for his father.

Arthur took deep breaths to calm himself, thinking of his plan. "Come on then Merlin, let's go say 'hi' to my father."

"What?" Merlin responded, surprised.

"You heard me, idiot." With that, Arthur grabbed Merlin's hand and dragged him over to Uther, Morgana, and Leon.

"Arthur!" Morgana squeaked, Leon smiling fondly at her. Merlin and Arthur simultaneously brought their hands up to cover their ears.

"Arthur," Uther greeted formally.

"Hello Morgana. Father."

Merlin tried to take a step back, sensing the tension, but Arthur grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him forward.

"Umm... hi," Merlin managed feebly, eliciting a giggle from Morgana and a scowl from Uther.

Arthur turned to walk away, and Merlin followed, confused. Arthur had a smug grin on his mouth, but his eyes portrayed nervousness.

Once he felt they were far enough away from Uther, but not out of sight or earshot, Arthur stopped walking. He slipped his hand into he coat pocket and fumbled nervously with the box. The blond took a deep breath before settling down on one knee in front of Merlin. He refused to look at his father, but he could see the look of horror and disbelief out of the corner of his eyes. Instead, he focused on Merlin. Perfect Merlin, with his dark hair, pale skin, and oh-so-perfect cheekbones.

"Merlin," he began, taking in the look of wonder and love in Merlin's eyes. "I've loved you since the day we met, and as we spent more time together, that love only grew." A crowd had formed around the couple, making Arthur nervous. He took another deep breath. This was no longer about making his father uncomfortable. This was about Arthur's undying love for the dark-haired man standing before him. He continued, "You complete me. You could say we're two sides of the same coin!"

Merlin chuckled despite himself. That is what mum said once, and what his grandfather, Drake Kilgharrah, had said many times.

"Merlin Emrys, would you do me the great honor of becoming my husband?" At this point, Arthur had tears in his eyes.

"Of course, you dollop-head!" Merlin answered before smashing his lips against Arthur's. The crowd cheered, and Arthur cast a quick glance in the direction of his father. The strong man had tears in his eyes, and was smiling and clapping along with everyone else. The newly-engaged couple parted, and the crowd dissipated. Uther had disappeared into the mass of relatives, but Arthur had seen his understanding.

Merlin knew that Arthur's proposal had something to do with insulting Uther, but he didn't really care. Merlin knew how much Arthur loved him, and he was delighted to spend the rest of his life in Arthur's arms.


	3. Let's Be Sick Together

**Author's Note: Hey! Here it is, the first NEW chapter of my merthur one-shots! This is the first things I've written in a while, so please forgive me for boring writing or mistakes. Actually, if you find a mistake, tell me about it in the reviews so that I can fix it! Thanks!**

**Summary: Merlin's been sick for three days, and Arthur's taking care of him. But what happens if they're both sick?**

**Genre: Romance, Comedy**

**Ships: Merthur**

**Setting: Modern AU, no magic**

**Inspiration: A prompt from imagineyourotp on tumblr. I won't type out the prompt because that would give away the entire plot, but thanks to imagineyourotp! More prompts on that tumblr page!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

It was a cold evening in November. Arthur was sitting in his office,_ trying_ to get some work done. He spun around in his swivel chair, pajama pants swishing against the surface. He hadn't bothered to get dressed, as it was Saturday, and he couldn't really do anything, because...

"Aaaaaa-choo!"

Well, because of that. Merlin was lying on the couch downstairs in a pool of his own snotty tissues, and Arthur had to take care of him. It had been three days- _three days _of this hell. No progress had been made on the business report Arthur was supposed to have finished by Monday, and it didn't look like things were getting better. Merlin had come home from work on Thursday with a bit of a cough, but nothing serious. One hour later, he was a snotty mess sinking into the couch. It's been three days, and nothing has changed. Well, maybe he's sunk a bit further into the couch.

_He's become one with the couch, _Arthur thought. _He's cuddling with those blankets instead of me... Wait. No. Stop. I _won't _be jealous of some bloody blankets! _With that, Arthur stormed downstairs, ready to force Merlin back into health. He stomped down the stairs, fists clenched, but froze when he reached the bottom.

Merlin was asleep on the couch. He had his hands pulled up to his neck, holding the blanket up. His mouth was hanging open, and drool was pooling on the pillow. Arthur knew that he should probably find this disgusting, but he couldn't help the smile that creeped onto his face. He took a few slow, tentative steps towards the couch until he was crouching right in front of it.

"Merlin..." Arthur whispered quietly into his boyfriend's ear. "Are you awake?"

"Hmm... Mm-mm... Ugh..."

Arthur laughed softly and ran his hand down Merlin's cheek. "Merlin... It's time to eat."

That was enough for Merlin to open his eyes. "Food?" he asked.

"Yep! What would you like? Oatmeal? Soup?" Arthur suggested.

Merlin nodded vigorously and answered, "Soup, please! Chicken noodle."

Arthur nodded, and Merlin settled back into a sleeping position. Arthur rose to his feet and walked into the kitchen. As he made the soup, he glanced back at Merlin every minute or two to check on him. While he wasn't too great at showing it, Arthur had been pretty worried about Merlin these past three days. His fever came and went, and it never got too bad, but Arthur was just worried. _I have the right to be worried, don't I? _Arthur thought while stirring the soup on the stove. _It's been three days, and he's showing no signs of improvement! Besides, I'm not getting any work done, and it's his fault!_ As soon as he thought that, Arthur felt like slapping himself. _Of course it's not his fault! He's just a poor, sick, little puppy... _Arthur giggled - actually _giggled_ \- at himself for even thinking that. If he'd said that to Merlin's face, he'd probably sneeze on command into Arthur's face!

The soup was ready, and Arthur put it into a bowl and stirred it to help it cool down. He walked back over to the couch where Merlin resided, trying not to burn his hand on the bottom of the bowl in the process.

"Here you go! Fresh chicken noodle soup!" Arthur tried to hand the bowl to Merlin, but he shook his head.

"Feed me?" Merlin asked. Arthur rolled his eyes, but couldn't take the smile off of his face. He obliged, scooping up a spoonful of soup with the spoon.

"Sit up, Merlin. It's not safe to eat lying down," Arthur advised.

Merlin slowly made his way to a sitting position, coughing multiple times in the process. He smiled weakly at Arthur and hoarsely said, "Thank you."

Arthur only nodded and brought the spoon closer to Merlin's mouth. He moved closer to slurp it up, then leaned back and smiled as the warmth slid down his throat. Arthur smiled fondly at his boyfriend before eating a spoonful of the soup himself.

Merlin laughed, shouting, "Hey! That's my soup! That's _my _soup!"

Arthur replied, "Oh really? Who made it?" with a playful tone. Merlin only shook his head and ate another spoonful. This process continued until the bowl was empty, and Arthur was getting tired. He glanced at the clock, and it read 9:42 pm.

"Merlin?" Arthur tried to get his boyfriend's attention.

"What?" Merlin replied, with a scrunched up face. He stretched and yawned.

Arthur chuckled and said, "It's time for bed."

"Carry me?" Merlin asked. Arthur was dumbfounded. _Of all the ridiculous requests... _he thought. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't refuse Merlin.

"Okay," Arthur obliged, and scooped Merlin up, blanket and all. He had one arm behind Merlin's neck and the other under his knees. It couldn't have been comfortable, but Merlin seemed just as comfortable as he'd been on the couch. Arthur, on the other hand, was struggling to get up the stairs! After all, he couldn't see past the sheer number of blankets that Merlin had on.

He made it to the top of the stairs eventually, and plopped Merlin down on the bed. The man in the bundle of blankets only let out a small groan before settling into the bed. Arthur chuckled and got in beside him.

The hours passed by as they slept, but Arthur awoke prematurely.

"Aaa-choo!" Arthur's face went blank as he realized that he'd just sneezed. He groaned and dropped back down onto the bed, knowing that he was now sick, too. He fell back asleep, and when he awoke, he had almost forgotten.

That is, until he almost coughed up a lung. It was 8:00 am, and the coughing woke Merlin up as well. He shot up, looking confused, but then his gaze settled on Arthur's devastated face and he couldn't hold back the laugh that bubbled up his throat. Arthur could only glare at him for so long before he gave in and started laughing along with him.

The two of them went downstairs, unable to stop laughing, and settled on the couch. Merlin was facing one way, and Arthur was facing the other, their feet overlapping. Arthur found the TV remote and a few boxes of tissues, which is all they'd need that day.

Merlin blew his nose while Arthur put a movie on. Arthur was too busy staring at the TV screen to notice Merlin stockpiling used tissues. That is, until he felt one his his face. He rotated his head slowly, then raised his eyebrows when his gaze settled on Merlin. The other man only laughed and threw another tissue. Arthur blinked, then started laughing as well. He grabbed a tissue, blew his nose, and threw it at Merlin. Thus, the war had begun. If you passed the apartment of Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Emrys on November 16th, 2014, you'd hear muffled laughing under the constant stream of coughs and sneezes.


	4. The Hill

**Author's Note:**** Hello! I have brought you another ficlet! Yay! I hope you like it! By the way, feel free to take any of these and expand upon them on your own, if you want. I'm perfectly okay with you guys doing that!**

**Summary:** **Merlin and Arthur go on a hunting trip and some good stuff happens**

**Genre:**** Romance, Comedy, Friendship**

**Ships:**** Merthur**

**Setting:**** Canon era (finally), somewhere in season 2, no specific point. Before the last episode, though. Oh, and we're pretending none of the stuff between Arthur and Gwen happened.**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Morgana stood at her window, watching Arthur and Merlin leave the castle together, bantering back and forth. _They are walking oddly close to each other_, she thought. _I wonder what's going on. _She shook her head and chuckled a bit. _It's probably just Arthur being Arthur. After all, the only time I've seen him act like himself is with Merlin._

* * *

Merlin smiled happily, practically skipping through the grass. He and Arthur were going hunting together, and Merlin was very excited. He'd hardly seen Arthur the past few days due to a debate with the council. Uther had some idea that everyone disagreed with, as usual, and Arthur had to back him up even if he didn't agree.

Merlin glanced over at Arthur, who seemed content. As they entered the forest, he looked around at all of the life there, and Merlin swore he saw a bit of a smile on the prince's face.

Merlin turned away from Arthur and his eyes focused on a hill. Not just any hill, though. This was a beautiful hill, with perfectly green grass and a nice little flat top to sit on. He _really _wanted to go sit on it, but he was a bit unsure about asking Arthur. He had no idea how the prince would respond! After all. they were supposed to be hunting. It's not like a great view would feed the kingdom.

Merlin sighed out loud and shook his head. This movement caught Arthur's attention. "What is it?" he asked.

Merlin sighed again, solemnly responding, "It's nothing."

Arthur didn't fall for that, and he stopped walking. "Merlin," he began, turning to face the other man. "What is it?"

Merlin hesitated, but decided to speak. "Do you see that hill over there?" He pointed, and Arthur nodded. "Could we go sit on it?"

Arthur scoffed. "Why? It's just a hill, and we have hunting to do!"

"I know, but it probably has a great view of the kingdom, and..." He trailed off, as he couldn't think of another reason to go to the hill. "I just _really _want to!"

Arthur sighed, and Merlin thought he'd say no. "Okay, fine, we can go sit on the hill. Happy?" Merlin was very excited, and he nodded vigorously. Then he started running in the direction of the hill, and Arthur just stood there and laughed. Once Merlin had gotten about 20 feet away, Arthur realized that he wasn't coming back, and starting running after him, armor clanging.

* * *

Arthur was nearly out of breath after running for so long, but Merlin had started to climb the hill at a very fast speed, so he had no choice but to follow. Every step made his armor feel heavier and heavier, until he could barely take another step. Luckily, by the time it reached that point, he had made it to the top of the hill.

Merlin was sitting beside him, and Arthur turned to look at his servant. His blue eyes were wide open, filled with an awed look. Arthur followed his gaze out to the horizon.

_Well, he was certainly right about the view,_ Arthur thought. He put his crossbow down next to him. The sun was sitting just above the horizon, getting ready to set. From the top of that hill, Arthur could see his entire kingdom. The castle was off to the right, up on its little hill. To the left were all of the villages that were close enough to see. Arthur had to admit, it _was _a beautiful view. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back to stare at the sky. He'd nearly forgotten Merlin was there! That is, until he felt hands pushing on his side and heard a stifled giggle.

Arthur tried to steady himself, but to no avail. He started spinning, slowly at first, then rapidly as the incline steepened. "Merliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!" Arthur screamed as he rolled down the hill with absolutely no control over his body. The hill just kept going, and every time he flipped onto his right shoulder, his armor got shoved into it. It got worse and worse every rotation, since he now had a bruise forming.

When he finally reached the bottom, Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. It was then that he decided to open his eyes, only to see Merlin rolling down the hill, headed straight for him. "Merlin! Stop! You're going to-"

Arthur was cut off mid-sentence as Merlin tumbled into him. They both went rolling a little more, then settled on a flat section. Arthur was directly on top of Merlin. For a minute, They just stared awkwardly at each other. Then, Arthur decided to go for the evil glare, and Merlin couldn't help it. It started out as a chuckle, but quickly grew into an unrestrained laugh that he couldn't stop.

Arthur rolled his eyes, and Merlin kept laughing. Arthur sighed, and Merlin kept laughing. Arthur even poked him a bit, but Merlin kept laughing.

Then Arthur craned his neck down and turned his head slightly to the side, meeting Merlin's lips with his. Merlin stopped laughing. He pulled away, scurrying further into the grass and out from underneath Arthur.

As Arthur realized what he'd done, he fell to lay on the grass, and he couldn't meet Merlin's eyes. _Why did I think that was a good idea? It was a horrible one! Usually my instincts guide me in the right direction, _he thought.

However, Arthur was snapped out of his thoughts by the feeling of Merlin's lips on his. He eagerly sat up, and didn't let Merlin's lips leave his. He put his hand on the back of Merlin's neck to caress him, and the other on his waist. Merlin leaned into it, his arms wrapping around Arthur's sturdy build and armor. They were both pulling each other closer, but it was Arthur who finally broke them apart.

Merlin looked back at him, confused, and Arthur smiled. "We should be heading back soon, Merlin. The sun is setting, and people will wonder where we've been."

Nodding, Merlin said, "Okay. Um... so... what are we...?" He didn't know how to put it.

Arthur smiled fondly at his servant and said, "Don't worry. We'll definitely be doing that again."

* * *

One week later, Morgana looked out the window another evening and saw Arthur and Merlin walking out to the forest again. Arthur was carrying his crossbow, so she assumed they were hunting again. However, something about the crossbow didn't look right. Upon a little more examination, she noticed that he didn't have any bolts!

Morgana chuckled to herself, shaking her head. _Those boys, _she thought. _Always up to something. They're walking even closer together than last week!_

The king's ward turned away from the window to put a dress away, but turned back a minute later. She could see Merlin and Arthur walking in the direction of the forest, but they were out of the view of most of the castle. Not her window, though.

It appeared that the pair didn't know this, however, as they seemed to be holding hands! Morgana's eyebrows shot straight up, and she made a startled sound. Gwen appeared behind her.

"Milady? Is there something wrong?" Gwen followed Morgana's gaze toward Merlin and Arthur, and smiled. "I always knew it."

Thus began the weekly tradition of the "hunting trip".


	5. The Note

**Author's Note: So uh... It's been a while. I'm _really _sorry! Lots of stuff has been going on, but I know that's no excuse, and I humbly apologize. I'm not going to promise anything like updating more frequently, but who knows, maybe I will! We'll see. Also, thank you to** TheEvil4ssHole** for helping me decide what to write! :)**

**Summary: Arthur discovers something and Merlin gets into a really bad situation**

**Genre: Angst, REALLY FREAKING SAD (If that counts as a genre)**

**Ships: Merthur (more platonic than romantic) (or what would have been pre-merthur if... well nevermind)**

**Setting: Canon-era Camelot, somewhere in season 1. Oh and Merlin isn't immortal**

**Warnings: Major character death and extreme feels (Also OOC characters it wasn't intentional but I figured I should warn you)**

**Disclaimer: I've never owned Merlin and I don't think I ever will so yeah. This was also loosely inspired by yet another imagineyourotp post on Tumblr.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Below the great city of Camelot, there was a jail with many cells. In one of those cells, there was a boy with a great destiny. However, he wasn't thinking about his destiny. He had other things on his mind.

Merlin was curled up on the scratchy pile of hay in the corner of his cell. Tears streaked lines down his cheeks as he felt the deep regret swallow him. You see, a few days ago, he'd made a brave move.

It was a seemingly normal day. Merlin woke Arthur up, fed him breakfast, and got him ready to go on a hunting trip. Naturally, he was coming along. After all, who else would protect the prince from harm by dropping tree branches onto the heads of bandits? And that's exactly what he did. But this time was... different.

* * *

Arthur had spotted a deer and raised his crossbow to shoot it. Merlin, who was not very comfortable with this, watched in pity for the poor creature. He was so lost in thought, and Arthur was so focused on the deer, that neither of them noticed the bandit camp a ways behind the deer, hidden by some trees. When Arthur released the bolt, the deer ran, and he missed it by a hair. The bolt, however, kept going until it landed right in the middle of the bandits' campfire. Arthur gulped in surprise and drew his sword, running toward the bandits. Merlin stayed back as he wasn't armed, aside from his magic.

For most of the fight, Merlin stood back and watched carefully, jumping in and saving Arthur with some tree branches whenever necessary. In fact, he was so focused on Arthur that he didn't notice one of the bandits running towards him until it was too late to run. Merlin's eyes flashed gold as the bandit dropped to the ground. He donned a satisfied smile and looked up to see how Arthur was doing. Then he saw Arthur, surrounded by the bodies of defeated bandits, and staring right at him. As soon as Merlin saw his face, he knew it wasn't good.

Arthur's eyes were showing a horrible combination of anger, betrayal, and pure shock. Merlin couldn't breathe as he held eye contact with the prince. "A-Arthur?" Merlin asked cautiously. After receiving no reply, he asked, "Arthur? What is it?" He knew what it was, but he couldn't believe it. It couldn't have happened, not like this. Not yet.

"You..." Arthur seethed. "Merlin, you... You have magic?" He asked harshly.

Merlin knew he was screwed. The only thing he could do was tell the truth. "Yes. Yes, Arthur, I have magic. But I use it for you! I use it to save you!"

Arthur walked forwards until he was only a few steps from his servant. "You have magic," he started calmly. "You lied to me. You betrayed me!" Now he was shouting, and Merlin was slinking back as much as possible.

"No Arthur!" Merlin cried desperately. "I would never betray you! Yes, I lied to you, but I had to! I could never tell you that I had magic, or you- you'd..."

"I'd what?"

"Well, you'd... have me executed," Merlin was really starting to worry. Arthur wasn't calming down at all.

Arthur smirked, which Merlin found strange, until he spoke. "Maybe that's what I'll do."

Merlin gasped. He was still in denial of this entire situation coming to pass, and he didn't like where it was going. "Arthur, please..."

"No. We're going back to Camelot and I'm bringing you to my father. We'll see what he decides to do with you."

Arthur tied their horses together and made Merlin mount his. He then tied Merlin to the horse securely and mounted his own. They rode back to Camelot, Merlin in tears and Arthur in shock.

When they arrived, the people of the town looked at Merlin with questions bubbling beneath their skin. No one voiced anything for fear of the prince's glare being directed at them.

While the king decided Merlin's fate, Arthur stood back and looked away. He couldn't watch his servant - no, his friend - be punished like this. At the same time, he knew it was the right thing to do. After all, sorcerers are evil and they must be eradicated. Right?

* * *

Now Merlin found himself locked in a cell awaiting his death. Uther had sentenced him to be executed at dawn in three days time. That day has come.

As he sobbed on the hay, Merlin felt a warmth spread over his body and opened his eyes to see the sun shining in through the barred hold in the ceiling. At the sight of it, Merlin let out a cry. He didn't want to die, but he had nothing left to live for anymore. Even if he used his magic to escape, he would have failed his destiny. He could never return to Camelot to aid Arthur in uniting Albion, so there was no point. He'd surrendered to his fate.

Merlin gazed over at the letter he'd written, addressed to Arthur. The guard had allowed him a piece of paper and some charcoal, but nothing else. He sacrificed food and water to have these items. After all, he was a dead man already. He picked up the note and stuffed it in his trousers. That's when the guards showed up to take him to the courtyard, where he'd be burned at the stake.

As they drew closer to the pyre, Merlin turned and begged the guards to give the note to Gaius. One of them agreed, possibly out of sympathy, and was replaced by another guard as he went to deliver the note to Gaius. Merlin sighed with relief. As long as Arthur got his note, he could die in peace.

It wasn't long before he was tied to the stake. Looking out over the crowd, he couldn't see Arthur. Merlin cursed him under his breath. It was his fault Merlin was being executed, and he couldn't even bother to show up? Figures.

Merlin took a deep breath as the torch lowered closer and closer to the pyre. He wasn't afraid anymore. He'd accepted his death and was ready to move on with it already. All he could think about was that letter and... Arthur. He was there, pushing and shoving his way to the front.

"No! Don't do it! Stop! _MERLIN_!" Arthur screamed at the top of his lungs, but it was too late. The flames caught on the pyre and before long, the whole thing was lit up. Merlin had expected Arthur to react like this. He'd also expected him to be too late to make any difference. _Looks like I was right_, he thought, but it gave him little satisfaction. Before the flames engulfed him completely, Merlin looked Arthur right in the eye and nodded, holding a firm gaze. As the pain sunk in, he arched his back and screamed a scream that can only be produced by a dying man. The last thing he saw was Arthur, his eyes full of tears and regret, running from the scene. Then it all went black.

* * *

Gaius had received the letter and rushed to find Arthur in the aftermath of Merlin's execution. As much as the old physician wanted to go mourn alone, he respected the delivery of this letter as Merlin's dying wish.

He found Arthur behind a pillar, curled up and sobbing. "Sire?"

Arthur turned to him, shocked. "Gaius? What is it?" He asked, his voice cracking.

"Merlin asked me to give you this, sire." Gaius handed Arthur the letter and walked away.

Arthur held the folded piece of paper in his hands, trying not to let his tears drip on it. He unfolded the paper and began to read.

_"Dear Arthur,_

_I'm so sorry you had to see this. Yes, I have magic. I always have, I was born with it. I came to Camelot to live with Gaius because it wasn't safe for me back home in Ealdor anymore. They had started to suspect me of being a sorcerer. It was probably a poor decision to go the kingdom ruled by you father, a legendary hater of magic. I should have known better. It's too late now. You saw me use my magic to knock that bandit out. It was something I didn't want to happen. Not like that, and not so soon. We had a destiny together you know. You were going to unite all of Albion and I was going to help you. How is that supposed to happen now that I'm gone? I suppose you'll find out. You'll have to tell me what happened when you join me in death. I'm quite curious. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I understand why you had to do this. You couldn't keep my magic a secret from your father because you were raised to believe that all sorcerers are evil. I hope one day you will realize just how wrong he is. It was an honor serving you, my lord."_

Arthur dropped the note and sobbed.


	6. Tavern Adventures

**Author's Note: Hello! It actually hasn't been that long this time! Well, here's another ficlet! This one's much happier than the last!**

**Summary: Merlin, Arthur, and the knights of Camelot have some adventures at the tavern**

**Genre: Comedy and Romance**

**Ships: Merthur**

**Setting: Canon-era Camelot, Arthur is king, Uther's dead, and all the knights are there**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. This post is entirely inspired by a post I saw from deanpendragon on Tumblr. Like, I took exact dialogue from it. But don't worry, I asked for permission first! I'd add a link to the post, but you know how this site is with links**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"What did you just say?" Arthur shouted in Merlin's direction.

Merlin smirked. "I _said _you can't hold your liquor!"

Arthur narrowed his eyes, glaring at his servant. They were at the tavern with the knights celebrating after returning from a bountiful hunting trip, and everyone had already gotten a little tipsy. "Is that right? Look who's talking!" Arthur responds as the knights erupt in laughter.

Merlin turns and glares at them, earning a drunken wink from Gwaine. He rolls his eyes and looks back at Arthur. "There's only one way to settle this," he announces. Arthur grins, knowing exactly what his friend is about to suggest. "A drinking contest!" Merlin finishes.

As Gwaine and Percival laughed in anticipation of said contest, Leon and Elyan rolled their eyes in exasperation.

"This is completely ridiculous," Leon tells Elyan. He nodded in reply, but couldn't keep the grin off of his face. Leon saw him and rolled his eyes again before standing up and walking out of the tavern. The three remaining knights watched him go as a single thought ran through their minds: _He doesn't know what he's missing out on._

Meanwhile, the contest was underway. Arthur had grabbed the first tankard and gulped it down remarkably fast. He smacked his lips and looked to the knights for praise, which was definitely awarded.

_Wow, how arrogant can a person be? _Merlin sighed and gestured for Percival to hand him a tankard. Then Gwaine showed up with a barrel full of mead. Although they were surprised, no one questioned how he obtained such a thing. Gwaine took the tankard out of Percival's hand, filled it, and handed it back to Merlin, who shrugged and accepted it. Following his king's example, Merlin downed the contents extremely quickly. He then slammed the tankard on the table and gave Arthur a challenging glare. Arthur's eyes narrowed, but he smirked and held his tankard out to Gwaine to be refilled.

By Merlin's fourth cup, Elyan had gone home, claiming that it was too much for him and he'd break a rib if he kept laughing this much. That left Gwaine and Percival. While Gwaine refilled the tankards, Percival had retreated to observe from afar. The two of them had stopped drinking a while ago, but hadn't quite sobered up yet. Besides, they felt drunk just looking at Merlin and Arthur!

An hour later, they were still going. When Merlin held his tankard out to Gwaine, he couldn't keep his arm still and Gwaine had to hold it still for him. This sight made Arthur burst into drunken laughter, but it quickly ceased when his head hit the table. Percival rushed over to check on him. He lifted Arthur's head and was startled when it began to shake. Arthur looked straight at Merlin with a grin on his face and announced, "It's not over yet!"

Five drinks each later and both Merlin and Arthur were moving sluggishly and slurring their speech. "Whaddaya think? Ya had 'nough yet?" Arthur asked.

"Not even closhe," Merlin replied unconvincingly.

Arthur smiled sloppily and put his tankard down on the table instead of handing it to Gwaine. "You win, Merlin," he announced.

Merlin held his glare at first, but gave in and put his tankard down as well. Gwaine started clapping, followed shortly after by Percival. Merlin and Arthur could only smile clumsily, but their hearts were in it.

The two knights settled at their own table to have a somewhat sober conversation, leaving Merlin and Arthur at their own table. After a few minutes of drunken staring, Arthur spoke up. "Merlin," he called, getting the servant's attention. Once he had it, he continued, "I've always sort of liked your neckerchiefs, even if they do hide your _amazing_ collarbones."

Merlin smiles and lazily points in Arthur's direction for a second before his arm falls to the table. "Well I'm just glad you don't wear them because I _love_ looking at your amazing collarbones, sire."

Arthur grins and opens his mouth to talk but he passes out and collapses onto the table. Merlin chuckles loosely and shouts, "Hey, knight-y knights! I think it's time for-" He yawns, "night-y night..." And with that, Merlin collapsed onto the table as well.

Percival and Gwaine cut their conversation short and chuckled tiredly. Percival grabbed Merlin and draped him over his shoulder while Gwaine picked Arthur up and put him in his arms, bridal style. He looked to Percival and smiled, "Shall we?"

They carried their respective drunken dead weight through the lower town and into the castle. When Gwaine turned right to go to the king's bedroom and Percival turned left towards the physician's chambers, Merlin and Arthur simultaneously regained consciousness.

The two knights stopped in their tracks as Arthur flailed his limbs in an attempt to be set free and Merlin tried to claw his way down Percival's back. Both knights maintained a strong grip, however, and neither of them got free.

Merlin opened his mouth and cried, "I miss you already, Arthur!"

Arthur, limbs still flailing, called, "I bid you farewell, oh servant of mine!"

The knights could only laugh as Merlin and Arthur both started crying. "Should we just put them in the same bed?" Percival suggested. Gwaine looked at Merlin who was still attempting to climb down Percival's back to get to Arthur. "Yeah," Gwaine sighed tiredly.

Unconscious again, Merlin and Arthur were carried to Arthur's quarters and dumped haphazardly onto the bed. Gwaine and Percival chuckled as they left, imagining the situation the next morning.

* * *

The sun shined in through the window, illuminating Arthur's bed. The same rays of light woke the two _very _hungover men in the bed.

Merlin squinted and groaned at the light. He felt a pressure around his waist and his bed felt oddly-shaped. Reluctantly, he looked up and saw Arthur. At the sight of his king so close to him, he jolted, planning to make a quick escape. However, as soon as he moved, his head got crushed by a hammer! Or at least, that's what it felt like. He collapsed back down onto Arthur's chest with a _thud_, which woke the king.

Arthur squinted and tried to move, but suffered the same splitting headache as Merlin. He felt a weight on top of him and his eyes widened when he realized it was Merlin. "M-merlin! What are you doing here?"

Merlin sighed. "I honestly have no idea. But, um, are you hugging me sire?"

Arthur looked down at his arm and noticed that he had a death grip around Merlin's waist. "No! Absolutely not! Why would I do that? Definitely not."

Merlin smiled at that but his smile vanished quickly when he remembered the problem at hand. "So, Arthur, I should be going..."

"Yes, yes, you should. Be on your way then!" Arthur ordered. Merlin only blinked at him. "What is it? Why aren't you leaving?"

"Well, sire, it's a bit difficult to do that since you're still huggi- sorry, _absolutely not _hugging me."

"Oh," Arthur breathed. He removed his arms from Merlin's waist and the servant started to get up. However, he happened to place his hand on Arthur's chest for support when pushing himself up. "MERLIN!" Arthur screamed.

"Sorry! Sorry sorry sorry sorry..." Merlin continued as he stumbled out of the room. Arthur let out a 'hmph' and tried to go back to sleep.

Meanwhile, Merlin was slowly making his way down the excruciatingly bright hallway when he ran into Percival and Gwaine.

"It's about time you got up, mate!" Gwaine remarked. Merlin groaned at him and kept walking towards Gaius's quarters and his own bed.

Percival and Gwaine watching him go, barely containing their laughter. "I wonder if he knows how messy his hair is," Percival announced.

"His hair? What about his clothes?" Gwaine laughed, looking at the jacket hanging off Merlin's shoulder. The knights continued on their way and Merlin stopped walking, having heard everything they'd just said. He quickly fixed his hair and situated his jacket before mumbling, "I bet they had something to do with this."


End file.
